Wholesale Inventories Inch Up,
Outpaced by 1.9% Surge in Sales

WASHINGTON -- Wholesale inventories inched higher in June amid the biggest jump in sales of wholesale goods since January 1997, the Commerce Department said Monday.

Wholesale sales jumped 1.9% during June to $228.12 billion, the fifth consecutive monthly rise. In May, wholesale sales increased by a revised 1.8% to $223.91 billion. The government initially estimated that sales rose 1.5% in May.